External Funding

The Research Development Team has curated a variety of external funding resources for Pitt's research community. This includes access to research databases, information about specific funders, as well as information on broad disciplinary funding.

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Search for External Funding  |   About External Funders  |  Weekly Funding Newsletters

Search for External Funding

Pivot is a hub of funding opportunities that can be accessed by any University of Pittsburgh faculty, staff, or student once their account is claimed. Learn more.      

Grants.gov is a site where all federal agencies can post discretionary funding opportunities, and grantees may find and apply for them.       

Sam.gov, also known as the System for Award Management, is a site used by the U.S. government to list contract jobs and opportunities. 

FundsNet is a free website to search for grants, foundation funding opportunities, and more. 



About External Funders

External funders are institutions that provide funding opportunities that are not a part of the University of Pittsburgh. There are external funders that act as national organizations, agencies of the United States government, private foundations, and more. Access the menus below for information about each funder, as well as helpful links to guide researchers across their respective funding opportunities. 

National Institutes of Health (NIH)

The NIH is the United States' medical research agency. Made up of 27 different Institutes and Centers, billions of dollars in research funding opportunities are available annually that stretch across a vast array of medical research areas. 

National Science Foundation (NSF)

The National Science Foundation, an independent federal agency, was created in 1950 to, "promote the progress of science; to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare; to secure the national defense...." As an entity, it aims to support research in fields of fundamental science and engineering. 

National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH)

The National Endowment for the Humanities serves as one of the largest funders of humanities programs in the United States. Like the NIH and NSF, the NEH is another independent federal agency that supports research through grants and other funding opportunities. 

Department of Education (DoEd)

The United States Department of Education supports research on education from pre-school age through higher and adult education. 

Department of Defense (DoD)

The Department of Defense is the largest of the United States government agencies. Through many subsects of the DoD there is funding available for research in areas such as: physics, materials, computer science, mathematics, etc. 

Department of Energy (DoE)

The United States Department of Energy supports research related to energy across a variety of subjects, including computing, biological and environmental research, energy sciences, physics, and more. 

Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)

A part of the Department of Defense, DARPA was formed to cultivate and develop innovative technology to be used by the U.S. military. 

National Endowment for the Arts (NEA)

The National Endowment for the Arts is a federal agency that serves as the largest funder of arts and arts education in the United States. One of the agency's primary activities is grantmaking. 

Other Federal Agencies
Private Funders & Foundations

Private Foundations 

Sabbatical Opportunities

Weekly Funding Newsletters

The Research Development team publishes weekly newsletters with the latest updates in funding opportunities and resources. To learn more about external funding in your research area, subscribe to our newslettersor contact our team at researchdev@pitt.edu